Of Telmarines and Kidnapping
by 24Chocoholic24
Summary: FINISHED, finally: Lucy has been kidnapped! Can the others reach her in time? What do the Telmarines REALLY want? Do the Pevensies have what it takes to be kings and queens of Narnia? Read to find out. K for violence; no pairings; movieverse
1. Not Without These!

As the sun rose on Cair Paravel, the kings of Narnia sat in the dining room, waiting for their sisters. There was a delicious spread of foods on the table, and Edmund could hardly contain himself. "Do you suppose we could take some of this home when we go back?"

Peter shook his head. "I don't know. We've only been here a week; there's still a lot we don't know about Narnia." The High King turned his gaze towards the brightening landscape out the window. Edmund was still surveying the food.

"Where's Lucy?" It was Susan. "I can't find her anywhere."

Peter sighed, clearly irritated. "Isn't it just like her to wander off like that!"

"Not without these," Susan shook her head as she held up Lucy's cloak and magic medicine vial. Peter glanced at the items before turning to search the horizon for some sign of his sister. Edmund, hoping against hope that Lucy was merely playing with them, took off to search the premises, calling her name all the while. Susan began checking with the castle guards and staff; and Peter went to search the waterfront. He found only their boat, torn to pieces and mostly empty. There was nothing to be found that would indicate the offenders' identities.


	2. Ready the Horses

"Peter." Edmund's cry was soft, but urgent. His older brother hurried to his side to find him studying a dainty crown. It was Lucy's, lying haphazardly on the ground outside the back door. There was no denying it – Queen Lucy the Valiant had been kidnapped. Edmund lifted his eyes to meet his brother's, but these were downcast, worried and angry. With a slightly tremulous sigh, Peter rose, Lucy's crown in hand. Desperately, the young man searched for anything unusual off in the distance. Edmund rose slowly after his brother, assuring him that "we'll find her."

Just then, Susan burst through the door. "They drugged her!" she cried, handing Peter the small, half-empty jar of medicinal powder. One of the centaur guards followed her. "It was the Telmarines," he announced.

Now Peter turned to Edmund. "Suit up and ready the horses, Ed. We ride to Telmar at sundown."

The centaur stepped forward. "The Telmarines are vicious. Their king envies your thrones. He'll kill her if they get a ch—"

_"I know!" _Edmund blurted ferociously. "We're working on it!" With that, he turned and ran toward the barn, tears glistening in his deep, chocolate eyes.

"Excuse him. He's just scared." Peter's demeanor softened a bit. "You stay here, and make sure the area is well-guarded. All of Narnia must be alert: the Telmarines will soon break their silence, and we must be ready for them when they do."

"What if it's a trap?" Susan's anxiety was not easily hidden. "You and Edmund can sneak around the back way. I'll keep them busy out front."

"You'll need help," Peter informed her.

"I do not," Susan insisted, "but if it makes you feel any better, I'll take some soldiers with me. Oh, and Fynor." The centaur turned to she who had spoken his name. "Keep Mister Tumnus busy here."


	3. We Approach the Telmarines

Peter forced his legs to carry him down the slope to his horse, through the numbness. He had let down his guard, failed his family and – more importantly – himself. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Susan. The youngest and most innocent person in his life was in grave danger… at best.

Susan knew Lucy was resourceful, but the younger was up against forces much greater than she could outwit. "How did they manage to sneak in the castle unnoticed? Any noise would have awakened somebody." All things considered, Susan concluded that the Telmarines were planning to kill all four of them. The elder queen was determined to live, but knew that her life could be the cost of her sibling's release. If there was one thing she was sure of, it was that her family was going to triumph over the Telmarines, one way or another. Once mounted on her horse, Susan leaned over to squeeze her brother's shoulder reassuringly. "I'm sure she's okay."

Even Peter could sense the tightness of his sister's frustration. "We shouldn't have stayed. Lucy never did anything to them. They should have just killed me if—"

"_Peter!_ She's not dead, and we're all going to get out of there alive. We just have to be careful." Now, though, Susan had a hard time believing her own words.

Was this what had transpired when Edmund had been taken by the White Witch? The boy could not help but wonder. He had caused them agony; he owed them some optimism. "I wouldn't be surprised if she's already escaped," Edmund's lightheartedness drew his older sister and brother's attention, "but, just in case, we'd better move quickly."

Surprised as she was at her brother's cheer, Susan agreed. "I'll round up some soldiers and you two take care."

Peter, unable to speak, just nodded into the setting sun; and the trio split up. A fearful and guilty tear slid down Edmund's cheek.

Lucy awoke in a dark, cool prison cell, deep within a castle for sure. There was one small window, just big enough for a small person to fit through, in the next cell. There was no one else in the dungeon, but she heard the guard snoring just outside the door and footsteps above her. With hands and feet bound and being silenced by a gag, she was rendered mostly immobile. Hunger didn't help her situation, nor the tools of torture hanging on the opposite wall. Never in all of her days had she been so scared or longed so for her siblings. All she had were the clothes on her back and the instinctive will to live. Faced with the possibility that her absence was yet unnoticed, Lucy began to cry.

Susan kicked her horse again, begging him to go faster. As she passed settlements, she called out, demanding that any soldier who could drop everything and follow her. A couple joined her from each settlement, and she had an abundance of fighters by the time they reached the Stone Table.

"We approach the Telmarines today only because they have in their custody Queen Lucy, your queen and my sister. Do not strike unless stricken. We are negotiating Lucy's release and buying time for kings Peter and Edmund to sneak in the back way and attempt to free Lucy unnoticed. We must focus their attention on us. Act wisely and follow my lead. Are you up to the challenge?" A grand cheer erupted from the crowd, and Susan could only quiet them by initiating the last leg of their short journey.

Peter and Edmund rode cautiously, making sure to aim for quite a ways behind the castle. The last thing they wanted was to be noticed before they had a chance to free their sister. At long last, after a long ride through several woods, the boys could see their destination. They dismounted just inside the wood behind the castle and tied the horses to a tree. With only a grappling hook and rope and their weapons, Edmund and Peter crept up to the cold stone wall. Few windows decorated the surface, and the watchtowers rose well above the roof. Just above ground level, about a meter away from where the siblings stood was a small window, just big enough for Edmund to fit through.

"You see if you can get in through there. If you find Lucy, get her out. Get yourselves back to the castle." Peter tossed the service end of the rope up, and it caught on the roof of the castle. "If you can't, then just make sure she's all right."

"I'll do whatever I can," Edmund promised. "Just try not to be too rash."

"I know what I'm doing!" Peter shot back. With that, he began his ascent and Edmund examined the window. A bell tolled, calling all guards to the main entrance.

Lucy strained to peek up through the window, her hopes hanging on what the chimes meant. She jumped, though, and let out a yelp when Edmund's head suddenly popped into view. With a finger to his lips, the boy ordered her to be silent, but it was too late. The heavy iron door to the prison chamber swung open, and a very muscular man in thick armor strode in, whip in hand. Edmund withdrew and listened to the guard open Lucy's cell and flip her onto her stomach. The cracking of the whip against the child's back frightened Edmund as much as the pain frightened his sister. Obviously, though, she had done nothing wrong, so the guard was careful not to draw blood. That had been the sole request of the Telmarine king's honorable mistress, concerning Lucy.

"I told you to be quiet!" The man's voice was gruff and cold. "Then, of course, you're probably more used to _giving_ orders than _taking_ them. You'd better hope your family doesn't try anything stupid. The king is not a gentle man." Lucy whimpered as her captor left the room, her cell once again locked.

Edmund slipped quietly into the empty cell next to Lucy's and pulled out her dagger, which he had hoped not to need. With very little noise, he moved to the lock of Lucy's door and picked it quite quickly. It took a minute or two to cut through the ropes around the girl's wrists and ankles, but her brother did so swiftly and silently. The gag was cast off last. Edmund pulled Lucy into a hug, which was a relief to Lucy, who was then able to muffle her brief coughing spell. No sooner was it over, though, than a second man addressed the guard. The children heard him say that Susan had arrived, and that the king wished to see the prisoner. Edmund rushed Lucy to the window and helped her out of it. "Phillip's just inside the woods, with Peter's horse. Take him if you need to, but stay with him." Lucy gave a small nod and ran off, just as the door re-opened.


	4. I have to tell them!

Susan advanced cautiously, taking only two fauns with her into the courtyard. With many guards on standby, the royal advisor stepped out to meet the Narnian queen. "What is your business here? We have left Narnia alone. We expect to be left alone as well."

"Left us alone?!" Susan's face twisted into an outward display of disgust. "Perhaps you are unaware that my sister is being held within these walls as we speak."

"We have not complained, nor have we confronted you. Your sister will not be harmed, so long as we have your cooperation."

"What have you Telmarines against Narnia?"

"King Enroy has found a need to take up trading over the Eastern Sea. To do so, it is necessary for him to move to the east coast of Narnia." One could not deny that the advisor was hiding something.

"And you couldn't have simply _asked_ us for permission to do so?" Susan tensed up in anticipation of the answer.

"It is Telmar tradition that the king only trade from his own soil."

"We will not give up our thrones."

"Then he shall have to take them from you."

Susan grabbed an arrow, signaling her followers to ready their own weapons. Several of the guards had already drawn their swords, and the rest now prepared to defend their city. "Where is Lucy?" the girl demanded.

"I'm afraid her location is currently undisclosed."

"Then we shall have to disclose it." As Susan made this announcement, one of the fauns at her side stepped forward and raised his sword to the advisor's neck. Somewhere within the mass of guards, someone became frightened and let his arrow fly into the heart of the faun. The threatening sword was dropped, the body next to fall. From the Narnian side, two more arrows flew, and the battle started.

Lucy had not made it very far when she heard movement atop the castle. She stopped, but so did the noise. Curious as to who might have climbed the rope to the roof, Lucy crept to where she could see. Nobody was up there, but she knew Peter had been and must be nearby. Quickly, she ran to join the horses. "Have you seen Peter?"

Abe, Peter's horse, spoke first. "He's in the castle, looking for you."

"Susan went 'round the front way," Phillip added. "You can hear the fighting from here."

Sure enough, Lucy heard the terrible evidence of it. "Oh, no," the girl shook her head. "I have to tell them!" Lucy raced off towards the castle, ignoring the horses' warnings.


	5. You can't trust everybody

Peter made his way through the castle, winding his way to the heart of the structure. The corridors were long and dark, the staircases steep and intimidating. A couple of times, Peter's curiosity led him to examine a room, the grandest of which was the library. He spent the most time in that room, searching the familiar titles of books. When he was finally done, he slipped back into the hallway, nearly colliding with Lucy. Both gasped, Peter's hand instinctively moving to his sword. After a tense moment, both realized who the other was and let out a sigh of relief. The smile that grew onto Lucy's face warmed Peter's heart, and he drew her safely into his arms. The girl was still shaking with a mix of fear and excitement, the boy slightly the weaker from all his worrying. Nearly half a minute later, Lucy drew back from her brother's embrace and pulled him back into the library. "Lu, are you all right? Where's Edmund?"

Lucy looked her eldest sibling in the eyes to answer. "I'm fine. Edmund didn't have time to get out of the dungeon before the guard came in; and there's something else you need to know."

"What's that?"

"This is all _my_ fault!" Lucy confessed.

Peter's heart broke a little at this. His sister did not yet have a good handle on the concepts of blame and responsibility. She was trying _so hard_, but Peter feared Lucy would end up pushing herself too far. He couldn't bear to see her in such a state of distress. "Oh, Lu! You didn't do anything wrong!"

"But I _did!_" Tears glistened in the eyes of the younger queen. "Last night, in the middle of the night, two boys about your age came to my window and woke me, asking for a drink. I brought them in for tea. They looked so pitiful, I thought they _mustn't_ be enemies, and they wore Narnian clothing at that. They said they had been traveling, and couldn't remember where they were from originally. They must have put something in my tea at some point, because I don't remember much after that. Oh, if I had only known…"

The look on Lucy's face served as her apology, which Peter immediately accepted. The boy kneeled down to be on her level. "It's okay, Lucy. You couldn't have known. It's just… you can't trust _every_body, you know?"

"I know. I promise, I'll be more careful from now on."

"I know you will." The High King stood to leave and reached for Lucy's hand, which she took, though hesitantly.

"Peter, wait." He turned around. Her tone was urgent. "That's not all!" There was a small sob in her voice, and a certain gravity. "They have poachers in Narnia _right now_, killing all the non-talking animals. As soon as they've done that, they'll move onto the talking ones. We have to save them!"

"We will, Lu; but first we have to get word to the others." Peter had come to an impasse. A move like this is not a thing a young teenager anticipates, but one he believes he should have foreseen, when all is said and done. Edmund was clever, though. He always knew what to do, by instinct. To consult Edmund, though, would mean trouble. _Oh, boy,_ Peter thought with a sigh. _Here goes nothing_.


	6. Susan surrendered

The first several minutes of the battle went quite well for Susan's army, few lost and many enemies slain. After a few minutes, though, the Narnians began to tire. It was not long before the Telmarines gained the upper hand. When the Narnian army was reduced to half of its original strength, Susan surrendered, hoping that the time she had bought had helped her brothers.

Edmund complied with the guard's orders, having tried and failed at resisting. He was led up the stairs toward the throne room. Just as they reached the landing, Edmund heard the guard grunt and fall, behind him. Daring to turn around, he found himself in the company of Peter and Lucy. Peter promptly cut the rope that bound Edmund's hands and handed his brother the sword that had been the guard's.

"Take Lucy," Peter demanded. "Search the woods. Kill any Telmarine you find, and stay together." Normally, Edmund would come back with a sour remark, but he saw the fear and urgency in his brother's eyes. He could also see the love; so the boy did not argue. With a wise nod, Edmund took Lucy's hand and led her back through the empty hallways that would lead them out.

Without delay, the gateman closed the Narnians into the castle grounds. Susan boldly followed the advisor into the building, determined to win the cooperation of the king. To her dismay, though, the scene in the throne room was not a good one. Peter knelt before the king, his hands bound behind his back. The king, overly dressed in fancy clothing, sat smugly in his elevated throne. Three dignitaries sat along each wall adjacent to that of the king's; two guards flanked the king. As Susan neared the king, a sharp pain sent her to her knees.

"Aha!" The king's voice was huge, filling the large room. "That was much easier than I thought it'd be." One guard bound Susan's hands as the ruler spoke. "Now we can discuss your future as rulers of Narnia – or lack thereof."

Peter twitched. "Our people will not submit to your leadership."

The king chuckled. "Oh, you needn't worry about your 'people.' They're being… 'taken care of' as we speak."

"What are you talking about?" Susan saw the defeat in Peter's eyes. "Where is Lucy? What have you done to her?!"

The king's smile lessened. "Your sister got away, I'm afraid. I have little doubt, though, that she will meet her death in the Narnian Woods, where our poachers are out collecting food."

Susan relaxed, if only slightly. "Why would you need poachers to…" Then it dawned on her. "No!" she cried in anguish. "You wouldn't! This is how you plan to gain our cooperation?!"

"No," the king sighed. "This is how I plan to feed my people. We have grown too many for the food of our land to support. Each new generation is more dependant on meat than the last. It is necessary for our survival."

There was a long silence as Susan and Peter exchanged bewildered looks.


	7. You were so upset

Edmund dragged Lucy along, barely outrunning the two guards on their tail. He threw her onto the horse just as the guards caught up with them. A couple of quick blows to the face put each guard out temporarily, long enough for Edmund to jump onto Phillip in front of Lucy. They took off towards Cair Paravel, Edmund's sword at the ready. By the time they got to the Stone Table, they had already slain four poachers. Atop the Stone Table, to Lucy's delight, waited the Lady of the Woods. She motioned for the children to stop, and approached them when they did. "Ten poachers came into the woods. Three remain standing."

"Where?" Edmund tensed.

"Follow me." She took off into the Great Forest, a stream of rosy petals followed by two children on a horse. The path was littered with animal remains and an unusual silence filled the air. Blood splatters painted the trees, each one drawing more tears from Lucy. By the time Edmund's sword cut down the last poacher, Lucy's face was buried in Edmund's back. The Lady of the Woods drew her hand across Lucy's shoulders as she left. Lucy's grip on Edmund loosened, and she sat up when she heard him draw in a sharp breath.

"Edmund?"

"You were squeezing me."

"Why didn't you say something?"

"You were so upset..."

"Oh, Edmund!" She hugged her brother gently. "Let's go back to the Cair."

"Is that what we're calling it, now?"

"Call it what you want; it's our home, now."

"I hope so..." Edmund frowned as Phillip carried them towards the Eastern Sea.


	8. Deal

An uncomfortable silence filled the throne room, and Susan watched Peter's expression change from one of urgency to one of resignation

An uncomfortable silence filled the throne room, and Susan watched Peter's expression change from one of urgency to one of resignation. As he raised his head to meet the eyes of the Telmarine king, the second eldest Pevensie grew fearful: her brother was about to make a drastic move. She opened her mouth to stop him, but decided against trying when she knew it wouldn't work.

"I propose an exchange," Peter announced, more than a little hopefully. His gaze was steady. His intent was honorable. His offer was eagerly awaited. The king seemed almost too interested, but Peter knew that the man was desperate as well. "You may have anything you find in Ettinsmoor, north of the River Shribble. From there, you may have free trade over the Eastern Sea. In addition, we shall have a fleet of ships ready for you within a week's time, if you'll provide direction on their construction."

The king stood frozen for a long minute, staring into Peter's eyes. Susan could not read the emotions being passed between the two, but she feared the worst until the king spoke again. She closed her eyes, trying to calm her raucous heart, not daring to look again until she heard that tyrant's unmistakable voice ring out again. "Done," was the answer. Both Pevensies breathed a sigh of relief, neither having known that they had been holding their breath. A hint of a smile could be seen on Peter's face, and more than a hint on Susan's.

"But…"

The growing joy all but sank at the word. The children's smiles faded. The eyes of the other Telmarines widened and shone with anticipation. Everyone's muscles tensed. In this awful silence, Susan panicked. Peter braced himself for whatever the king might demand.

Raising his eyes to the doorway, King Enroy continued. "You shall provide all necessary assistance in the establishment of our new location, starting at dawn tomorrow."

Astonished by the simplicity of the task before them, Susan and Peter hastily agreed to the terms on the table. With everything in order, they were freed and allowed to return to Cair Paravel, all siblings safe and sound at last.

With the help of many Narnians and a promise of peace and prosperity, the Telmarines were able to move to Ettinsmoor's eastern coast within the month. The day the move was completed was the last time that Peter and his family would see any Telmarines for many years to come.

Once the Narnians had paid their debt to the Telmarines, they all found themselves free of worry once again… almost all of them, anyway. Susan, now aware of what had always driven her mother to be so protective, never again failed to lock every window and door at night. Edmund made sure that Lucy was given every safety talk in the book. Lucy, of course, learned to be more careful, even when her path looked clear. Peter took to sleeping with his door open, investigating every noise that awoke him in the night for months after Lucy's kidnapping.

Eventually, though, the kings and queens of Narnia found themselves rid of their fears once again. Lucy was alive, and Narnia was safe. The Pevensies had triumphed over the enemy once again. As long as Aslan was watching over them, they decided, there was nothing they couldn't handle.


End file.
